West MacDonnell Ranges tours from Alice Springs
| country: | Australia | ||||
| location: | Northern Territory, Red Centre | ||||
| departures: | Departures on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the year | ||||
| price: | From AU $512 (4 days) excluding flights. Plus local payment AU $75 (fuel levy & park fees), entry into Hermannsburg precinct, sleeping bag hire (AU $15). Seasonal surcharges apply
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| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
West MacDonnell Ranges tours from Alice Springs
This unique West MacDonnell Ranges tour from Alice Springs offers the very best of the Alice Springs region: the West MacDonnell Ranges and Palm Valley as well as a night out bush, camping under our magnificent southern stars. Travelling with a genuine small group (max. 16 people), explore highlights such as Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge, Owen Springs Reserve, the Hermannsburg Settlement as well as Palm Valley.
Take a visit to the Oak Valley Aboriginal Community south of Alice Springs to provide you with a first-hand experience of local Aboriginal life. You can learn about ancient myths and stories of their land, bush tucker, spear and boomerang throwing. You will also get to experience some of their paintings and artefacts they make which can be purchased. As well as Oak Valley we will visit Hermannsburg Aboriginal Community offering the opportunity to explore this settlement that was established in 1877.
This 2 day safari will leave you with a memory of a lifetime and a real taste of Outback Alice Springs.
This unique West MacDonnell Ranges tour from Alice Springs offers the very best of the Alice Springs region: the West MacDonnell Ranges and Palm Valley as well as a night out bush, camping under our magnificent southern stars. Travelling with a genuine small group (max. 16 people), explore highlights such as Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge, Owen Springs Reserve, the Hermannsburg Settlement as well as Palm Valley.
Take a visit to the Oak Valley Aboriginal Community south of Alice Springs to provide you with a first-hand experience of local Aboriginal life. You can learn about ancient myths and stories of their land, bush tucker, spear and boomerang throwing. You will also get to experience some of their paintings and artefacts they make which can be purchased. As well as Oak Valley we will visit Hermannsburg Aboriginal Community offering the opportunity to explore this settlement that was established in 1877.
This 2 day safari will leave you with a memory of a lifetime and a real taste of Outback Alice Springs.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive into Alice Springs and overnight at the Crown Plaza Alice Springs. |
| Day 2: | The day starts early as we pick you up from your accommodation at about 5.45am to finalise ticketing and then get on the road to begin our journey. From here we head off to Oak Valley Aboriginal Community. We now spend the morning checking out the sights of Oak Valley including Rock Paintings and carvings with your Aboriginal Host. From here we head along the Hugh River stock route on and into Owen Springs Reserve 4 wheel driving along bush tracks through this old cattle station emerging at the west MacDonnell Ranges. The MacDonnell Ranges stretch for over 200km in length enabling us to explore some stunning gorges, refreshing waterholes and walks through a landscape unique to this part of the world. The day will be packed with information, swimming, short walks and time out to enjoy your surrounds. Highlights included are Oak Valley Aboriginal Community, Hugh River Stock Route, Owen Springs Reserve, Ormiston Gorge and Glen Helen. Be on the watch for Rock Wallabies and other fauna that use the retreat of the rugged ranges as a safe haven. At the day’s end we set up our bush camp for a night under the stars situated on the Finke River, here we will cook dinner over the campfire and share a few tales and an ale around the fire in true outback style. |
| Day 3: | Morning is at its best just as the sun starts to rise followed with a hearty breakfast and a fresh pot of coffee. After breaking camp we head off around Namatjira Drive stopping at Tyler’s Pass to view Gosse Bluff (comet crater) along the way. From this point it’s on towards Hermannsburg, a Historic Lutheran Mission established in 1877. On arrival at Hermannsburg we’ll visit the heritage precinct where we can explore the historic buildings and grounds whilst enjoying a cup of tea or coffee. Departing Hermannsburg we lock in the hubs and 4wd into Palm Valley. After lunch we’ll go for a hike through this picturesque valley discovering some of its hidden treasures. After our hike it’s back into the vehicle and off home to Alice Springs. We will have you back to Crown Plaza Alice Springs around 6pm. |
| Day 4: | Depart Alice Springs. |
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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More so than many other tourist destinations, the Red Centre is a very fragile environment and so in order to preserve our own future we need to make sure our activities are sustainable and representative of all facets of the region including indigenous culture.
The Crown Plaza Alice Springs is participating with the Alice Solar City project to reduce its carbon footprint. There will be 13 solar arrays, comprising over 1300 individual solar modules. 530,000 kilowatts of power each year will be generated, equivalent to the energy required to power 60 households for a year. The solar installation is expected to reduce the hotel's carbon footprint by 420 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The hotel will also link a television channel to each guest's room that provides real-time explanations of energy savings. Together with an LCD display in the hotel foyer, the channel will display data from the rooftop solar arrays on power output, total energy generated and equivalent greenhouse gas emissions saved. The local operator of this West MacDonnell Ranges tour from Alice Springs is the only Advanced Eco-Tourism Accredited Tour Company based in Alice Springs operating in the Red Centre. It is the highest acknowledgement for environmental understanding, operational practices and cultural representation as defined by Ecotourism Australia. The local operator has recently been granted Respect of Culture Program (ROC) certification which indicates we are an endorsed Indigenous Tourism Business. This program recognizes our sustainable business and environmental practices as well as the observance of cultural protocols, particularly through acknowledgment of the diversity of Indigenous Australia and consultation with them. Situated on the Hugh River stock route 110km south of Alice Springs and 31km north of Titjitkala and Maryvale, Oak Valley is a locally owned and operated Aboriginal tour business and community. Run by the Le Rosignol family, this community boasts an olive and grape plantation, Aboriginal rock carvings and paintings and an ancient fossil field, all set in remote pristine desert country. Visits to this community provides direct economic benefits as well as raising awareness and educating visitors on the Aboriginal culture. Photo credit: Tourism NT |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |